Pharmaceutical Formulations for Topical Use Containing Copaiba Oil: A Scoping Review

Brazil has the greatest biodiversity on the planet, and a rich ethnic and cultural diversity, which provides a variety of medicinal plants for use in the development of new therapies. Among the various species found in Brazil, copaiba (Copaifera L.) has been used since the 16th century as an antiinflammatory and curative agent, as well as for esoteric purposes such as aphrodisiacs and contraceptives.

This review aimed to map and characterize pharmaceutical systems containing copaiba oil for topical uses that provide therapeutic benefits.

The Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines were followed in this scoping review. Several databases were investigated, and studies containing different pharmaceutical systems were included, regardless of their language, design, or year. The selection of the studies and data extraction were performed independently by the reviewers.

Twenty-two studies met the eligibility criteria and were analyzed for the pharmaceutical systems developed and the therapeutic effects assessed. Nine different pharmaceutical dosage forms and six therapeutic effects were investigated, with antimicrobial action being the most common research target.

Copaiba oil can be used in different pharmaceutical formulations and has the potential to exert different topical therapeutic effects.